Session Notes for RD0409 Prepared by N. Vandenberg, NVI, Inc./GSFC =========================================================== Purpose: The purpose of rd0409 is to continue the 2004 series of Gb/s tests. This experiment uses 4 stations in two independent baselines. (1) Kokee-Wettzell will observe a 24-hr 1-baseline experiment similar to the Intensives, with standard SNR values. This schedule was generated automatically with sked, using the extended geodetic catalog. The results can be compared to the 1-baseline part of RD0408 which used manual scheduling with a very large source list. (2) Algonquin-Westford will observe with ultra-high SNR of 80 to investigate phase connection. (3) The final hour of the experiment observes two very weak sources with fluxes .02 - .04 Jy. The purpose of these observations is to demonstrate the sensitivity of the network using the Gb/s recording mode. These two sources are about 10 times weaker than the standard sources we normally use. This session must be recorded on Mk5 disks. Multiple disk modules will be required. Please plan for disk changes accordingly by referring to the drudg listings that display the number of Gb recorded during the experiment. Refer to the last sections of these notes for reminders about testing and setup for the Gb/s recording mode. Testing prior to the experiment is essential for success. =========================================================== Parameter values for experiment RD0409 Experiment description: R&D-9 Scheduler: nrv Correlator: HAYSTACK Nominal start: 2004-308-18:00:00 Nominal end: 2004-309-18:00:00 Current yyyyddd: 2004308 (2004.84) ( 13313 MJD, WED. 3NOV.) Greenwich sidereal time: 20:53:19.00 (18: 0: 0 UT) Sun's RA and DEC: 14h 36.9m -15d 19.9 =========================================================== First observations Observation listing from file ./rd0409.skd for experiment RD0409 Source Start DURATIONS name yyddd-hhmmss Ap Kk Wf Wz 1741-038 04308-180000| 40 40 | 2201+315 04308-180414| 40 40 | 1351-018 04308-181131| 42 42 | 1622-253 04308-181557| 40 40 | 1923+210 04308-182140| 40 40 | End of listing. Observation listing from file ./rd0409.skd for experiment RD0409 Source Start DURATIONS name yyddd-hhmmss Ap Kk Wf Wz 1357+769 04308-200000| 40 40| 1923+210 04308-200046| 40 40 | 0749+540 04308-200126| 40 40| 0552+398 04308-200239| 40 40| 0955+476 04308-200403| 40 40| End of listing. =========================================================== Last observations Observation listing from file ./rd0409.skd for experiment RD0409 Source Start DURATIONS name yyddd-hhmmss Ap Kk Wf Wz TON202 04309-175031| 600 600 600 600| End of listing. Observation listing from file ./rd0409.skd for experiment RD0409 Source Start DURATIONS name yyddd-hhmmss Ap Kk Wf Wz 0955+476 04309-165918| 40 40| 1611+343 04309-170029| 40 40 | 1300+580 04309-170034| 62 62| TON202 04309-170438| 600 600 600 600| LSI61303 04309-172525| 900 900 900 900| TON202 04309-175031| 600 600 600 600| End of listing. =========================================================== SKED Summary from file ./rd0409.skd for experiment RD0409 (all scans with at least one subnet station) Average number of obs. per baseline per source (normalized by up-time) = 6.0 Min = .0 Max = 144.0 (Baseline Kk-Wz on 2318+049) RMS = 18.7 Total time: 1440 minutes ( 24.0 hours). Key: Ap=ALGOPARK Kk=KOKEE Wf=WESTFORD Wz=WETTZELL Ap Kk Wf Wz Avg % obs. time: 24 50 24 50 37 % cal. time: 4 9 4 9 7 % slew time: 65 17 14 13 27 % idle time: 5 21 56 25 27 total # scans: 395 862 395 862 628 # scans/hour : 16.5 35.9 16.5 35.9 26.2 Avg scan (sec): 53 51 53 51 52 Total GBytes: 3066 6343 3066 6343 4705 Total GB(M5): 2726 5638 2726 5638 4182 # of tapes : .1 .1 .1 .1 tape change times (hhmm): Total number of tapes: .6 Total GBytes (M5) recorded: 16729.6 # OF OBSERVATIONS BY BASELINE | Ap Kk Wf Wz StnTotal ------------------------------ Ap|395 3 395 3 401 Kk| 862 3 862 868 Wf| 395 3 401 Wz| 862 868 Number of 2-station scans: 1251 Number of 3-station scans: 0 Number of 4-station scans: 3 Total # of scans, observations: 1254 1269 =========================================================== Recording mode Name Code GEOSX8N 8F Recording mode setup for: ALGOPARK KOKEE WESTFORD WETTZELL Mode Tot.Rate Tot.BandW #chan #bits Barrel Mk341:2 1024.000 Mbits 512.000 MHz 14 2 NONE Chan.BW #Subpasses Tracks(*fan) Tot.tracks Speed 16.00 MHz 1 16(*2) 32 3.20 X-band spanned bw= 720.0 MHz rms spanned bw= 280.4 MHz S-band spanned bw= 140.0 MHz rms spanned bw= 50.9 MHz Effective number of channels recorded per sub-pass X S Total 19.780 11.868 32.000 =========================================================== Tape types ID Station Tape length Density Passes Ap ALGOPARK 17400feet (Thin ) 5625000 (DUPER ) 7 Kk KOKEE 17400feet (Thin ) 5625000 (DUPER ) 7 Wf WESTFORD 17400feet (Thin ) 5625000 (DUPER ) 7 Wz WETTZELL 17400feet (Thin ) 5625000 (DUPER ) 7 =========================================================== SNR Targets Minimum SNR by baseline for multi-baseline scans X-band (margin 0) S-band (margin 0) Ap Kk Wf Ap Kk Wf Kk 20 Kk 15 Wf 80 20 Wf 80 15 Wz 20 30 20 Wz 15 20 15 =========================================================== TESTING AND SETUP ====================================================================== This session requires 4 ribbon cables between the Formatter and the Mark 5 Recorder. If one of these cables is missing, the correlator will not be able to read any of the data. Mark 4 stations should run ftp://web.haystack.edu/pub/mark5/SNAP/chk1024.snp with ftp://web.haystack.edu/pub/mark5/SNAP/chk1024.prc VLBA4 stations such as Kokee Park, should run ftp://web.haystack.edu/pub/mark5/SNAP/vchk1024.snp and ftp://web.haystack.edu/pub/mark5/SNAP/vchk1024.prc Send a copy of the log to dsmythe@haystack.mit.edu, or put a copy in the misc directory on cddisa, with a follow-up e-mail to dsmythe. Do not touch any of the cables between the Formatter and the Mark 5 Recorder after this test has been run without any errors. ====================================================================== DISK MODULE CHANGES ====================================================================== This session will require 3 or 4 disk modules, depending on the sizes that you have available at your station. DRUDG does not know the sizes, so it shows an ever-increasing GByte count. Please be aware that you will have to change modules several times during this session, and plan accordingly. There are several things to consider: 1) Mark module change times. Select the modules you will use for this session, note their sizes, and then mark by hand the places in the schedule where a module change will be necessary, and which bank will need to be changed. You can use the drudg Option 5 listing for this purpose. 2) Change modules promptly. When a module is full, the FS will automatically switch to the next one and put up a notice that you should change the old one. It is good practice to change the module as soon as it's called for, because then you are ready to record on the new one. 3) Create prompt window. The notice to change the disk module will scroll off the screen pretty quickly and you might miss it. It is possible, using the fs.prompt program, to create a prompt window on the screen with a message that you should replace the module. The window will stay there until you dismiss it by clicking on "continue". It is possible to do this so that the schedule will not be blocked while the window is displayed. To do this, edit your "change_pack" procedure and insert the following line as the first line: sy=fs.prompt "change disk module that is not selected" & The use of the "&" at the end is of the line is crucial to making sure that the schedule is not blocked. Please make sure you enter the line exactly as shown (you can adjust the message inside the quotes). One thing to be aware of is that the prompt will not tell you which module to change, so you must be careful to select the right one, i.e., the one that is not currently selected. If you have any questions, please contact Ed Himwich (weh@ivscc.gsfc.nasa.gov).